Is Ray Emery having an all-star season?
He’ll find out next weekend.
But, as far as Senators coach Bryan Murray is concerned, Emery deserves consideration to participate in the NHL’s all-star celebration, set for Jan. 22-23 in Dallas.
New Jersey veteran Martin Brodeur—the Senators’ opponent in today’s matinee at Scotiabank Place—will be the starting goalie for the Eastern Conference in voting done by the fans, but the two backup positions are wide open.

It was with a sombre tone and a painful limp Jarome Iginla showed up at the ‘Dome yesterday to deliver news of an MCL sprain in his left knee.
Yet despite announcing he’s out indefinitely, Iginla then unknowingly demonstrated the type of healing powers he possesses….
“It doesn’t feel great today but that’s what I’m told. I don’t know if that means I’ll be back in a week or what.”
It doesn’t.
More likely closer to three or four.

As frustrated as he is with the way the Carolina Hurricanes are playing, general manager Jim Rutherford said Friday he won’t make a trade just to shake things up. But that doesn’t mean he won’t make a trade.
“We are going to continue to look at possibly adding a defenseman, but it’s not going to be a deal where we’re going to be forced into doing it or forced into overpaying,” Rutherford said….
Rutherford also left open the possibility of making a move for a forward during the next few weeks in an attempt to bolster Carolina’s misfiring offense.

They told Martin Gelinas the exact same thing they tell every fresh-faced kid who wins a Stanley Cup early in his career - savour it, because you never know when, or if, you’ll ever win one again.
And, like most of the fresh-faced kids before and after him, Gelinas didn’t listen.
That was 18 years ago, and Gelinas hasn’t won since.
“I took it for granted,” said the 36-year-old Florida Panther. “I thought I would win a bunch of them. I was surrounded by great players. I know now that I didn’t truly appreciate it. You assume it’s going to happen every year and it doesn’t.”

There’s nothing funny about being diagnosed with a deadly disease.
But Calgary’s Brent Peterson soon realized after being told he had Parkinson’s Disease that laughter is the best medicine.
The Nashville Predators assistant coach who, upon hearing he had the debilitating affliction, took the news really hard.

Bill Doern auditions people who want to go to NHL hockey games, and takes along those who have something to offer him.
“This is about engaging people that I have not spoken to before,” said Mr. Doern, a principal with SUM Inc. SCG. “People in Ottawa are passionate about hockey.”
Mr. Doern holds a pair of Ottawa Senators’ season tickets and has taken several clients and acquaintances to hockey games.

Murray Greig has trained and managed professional boxers and has worked the corner in Canadian, Commonwealth and world title fights. Here he sizes up the fistic prowess of hockey players that he’s personally seen drop the gloves
1. GORDIE HOWE
Arguably the greatest forward in the history of the game, Mr. Hockey was also - indisputably - the best fighter.
Forget about different eras, bigger guys, improved training and conditioning. In terms of pure fighting ability, Howe was the real deal - head and shoulders above the rest.

The 8-3 drubbing administered by the Nashville Predators to conclude the first half of the regular season was only part of Friday’s bad news for the Blackhawks.
In a development that might have more far-reaching effects, the Hawks revealed that star winger Martin Havlat has a groin injury. He didn’t play against the Predators, and his return to the lineup is uncertain.
Coach Denis Savard called Havlat’s status day-to-day and said the injury developed with seven minutes left Thursday night in St. Louis. Havlat was at the United Center Friday and didn’t make any formal comments on his injury, but did admit to hearing a pop.

The New Jersey Devils’ new arena in downtown Newark will be called the Prudential Center, team owner Jeff Vanderbeek said Friday.
Officials from the hockey team and Prudential Financial Inc. will announce the details at a news conference Monday.
Vanderbeek declined to comment on the cost of the naming rights, but had said earlier that the deal would have Prudential pay the Devils about $5 million annually. He said the contract is for 20 years.